Spike had been sitting working at the computer for most of the day, when he heard the key in the lock. Admittedly the few times he *had* moved, he was reminded of some overnight activities that had evoked a smile and stirring of his sex as he felt a twinge of the ‘tender arse’ variety. Unfortunately, the lover’s smile was replaced by a concerned frown, as Xander entered the apartment looking particularly stressed.
“What’s up pet?”
Xander took Spike’s hand and silently led him down to the garage.
Rounding on Xander’s dark blue BMW, he saw the deep scratches across the bonnet.
“QUEer EYe on sitE” adorned the front of the car, along what looked like manure smeared across the passenger side window.
“Oh Xan… Oh pet… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Hey my lovely, come on… come here.” Spike pulled his partner into a protective hug, “It’s OK pet, it will be OK. Whoever these pissers are…”
“That’s the problem, I pretty much know who ‘they’ are.” Xander looked decidedly miserable. “Few too many things were said on one of the site’s today… Kind of gave it away…It’s someone or a group of someone’s from work... Geez Spike…” He melted into his lover’s tight hug.
“Oh ho! Let me take a guess… Mister No-nuts-Jackie-Chan-Wannabe from last night!?!” Spike saw the tiny nod of agreement from his partner, then dropped into game face letting out a primal growl that sent an instinctive shot of fear down Xander’s spine. “Oh pet!....I’ll bloody remove their unused organs, shove them up their own tight arses, then eviscerate the whole bloody lot of ‘em, F@%#ing bigots!” Spike’s words were ground out with such vehemence that Xander had no doubt his vampire would have done exactly as he threatened at that moment.
“So have you called the police?”
Xander’s face fell even more. “No… well it’s difficult… it’s people from work.”
“It’s a bunch of bloody idiots and criminals… You want me to warn ‘em off proper like?” Spike
watched as his partner turned away in distress, “Oh luv… C’mon pet… let’s just get ourselves upstairs and have us a good hard shag, at least make you forget all this for a while, eh luv?” He immediately began to nibble on Xander’s earlobe and snaked an arm around the all too tense torso.
Unfortunately the human was too upset to respond to his partner’s ministrations. He pushed out of the hug and walked away, leaving Spike feeling both useless and unwanted.
Turning back to the damaged vehicle, Spike ran his hand over the scratches and resolved to have a chat to Andy. The vampire was leaving at the end of the week and now more than a little worried for his lover’s safety.
Spike knew his lover had returned to the apartment, vampire hearing just being able to discern the shower being turned on. He chose not to follow. Ascending the stairs he wandered outside onto the shared lawn. He lit a cigarette and scanned the building for other residents that might be outside enjoying the cool evening, then launched himself to catch Xander’s balcony and swing up to stand staring into the night.
Spike threw himself into the chair from the ‘steel and cane Danish collection’ and continued to take comfort from the burning tobacco.
By the time Xander wandered out to the balcony clad in a towel and (in deference to the cool of a Sacramento winter’s evening) baseball jacket. Spike was standing against the balcony rail again staring into the dark.
Xander spoke quietly from the door, “Sorry about before.”
“Not your fault mate.”
“Well at least… thanks for still being here.”
Spike spun around and leveled a gold tinted set of blue eyes on his partner. “What! You thought I’d run just ‘cause some poncy homophobic prick who happens to think illustratin’ someone else’s property at ‘is workplace is fine! Tell ya what, give me ten seconds with the trumped up bastard and I’ll have him messin’ his pants in front of all of ‘is mates and beggin’ me ta do ‘im instead of makin’ ‘im a midnight snack . Told ya’ before pet… *No one* touches what’s mine – including my own’s bloody car!!”
Xander grinned just a little, despite his partner’s slip into game face again. “ Well… um thanks for the uber vamp posturing but… you know… just glad you stayed.” He hugged the vampire firmly, removed the cigarette then kissed him passionately.
He whispered, “Sorry about the other day too. Not wanting to get you gone again… so can we talk about why you ran, cause worried partner of the ‘running man’ here.” The voice was full of worry and remorse for the injuries consequently sustained by the vampire.
Spike looked puzzled.
“The ‘getting gone’ vamp thing… the ‘let’s me find a Slayer on a bad night’ blahh blahh. God Spike, I meant to say sorry, cause I’m sure it’s something I did… but… and… Geez! This has been a really crappy day, and … and when you didn’t come up with me, I figured I might have done something again… and then you weren’t here so I thought a smoke and I kept listening from the shower and door didn’t… and this is all still pretty new so…”
“Bloody Hell Harris. Stop! I swear the underwater swimming must directly affect the time you can speak without breathin’!!”
Xander looked up to see only worry and gentle affection in his partner’s eyes. He stared at the floor, toeing an imaginary mark on the tiles of the balcony. “Well? What did ‘your whelp’ do Spike? How did I hurt you? ‘Cause with all this other stuff… I just need to know that we’re OK. ‘Cause that’s really all that matters right?” Xander’s good eye was filled with tears and his scar ached in sympathy.
“Oh, Pet….” Spike flicked the cigarette butt over the balcony, then turned back to see the slumped shoulders and sad demeanor of his lover. His straightened, took a matter of fact stance and offered an outstretched hand to his friend, “Right then… Bloody hell pet… This is old territory… Spike layin’ ‘imself bare again.” But for all his bravado, Xander heard the tightness in the voice, took the proffered hand and pulled the vampire toward him until they were both leaning against the outdoor table, staring into space, fingers entwined.
“You hated me for it see? She hated me. Hell I hated me so much I had the head off to bloody Africa to get meself a soul… And you still all hated me…” Xander watched his lover’s gaze fall to the floor and a single tear begin to track its way down the beautiful cheekbone. “But I got so confused… ‘Cause she’d said ‘No’ that meant ‘Yes’; and No that meant ‘More’; and ‘No’ that meant ‘I hate you but yes’; and ‘No that meant ‘Not without cuffing you first’; and ‘No’ that meant ‘Not ‘til I beat the snot out o’ you then shag you once you can’t stand up anymore’; and then one this time… the time she… and I really lost it a bit ‘cause I… but then I didn’t…” Tears were flowing freely now but Xander let him finish, “And then when you… and I thought you were jus’ windin’ me up, but then you were serious jus’ like her, and I didn’t... and I would never!… But you were so …. And then ‘No’. You’d never said ‘No’ not like that, not like… like you… like you’d never want me to touch you again… like she… like everyone… and I just had to get away… just had to.”
“Oh Sweetheart! Oh I’m *so* sorry…” Car issues utterly forgotten, Xander pulled the smaller man into his lap, cuddling him like a child and pulling the vampire’s mouth to meet a stretched neck.
“Taste Spike. I know you can tell truth from the blood, taste now.”
“But… It will… mark…”
“Do it, Spike” And as if to reinforce the words, Xander pressed his lover’s already changed mouth into the skin over his jugular.
Spike took a moment then bit with the utmost care. He tasted regret and worry, but overwhelmingly he tasted clear love and devotion of a kind he’d only ever tasted between he and Angel before.
He took three strong drafts then released with a groan. “Oh Xan… F@#$ing magnificent… You can’t imagine how much… I… Guhhh…..Just love you dear heart, Love you so much.”
He pulled the human into a tight embrace and kissed him passionately, Xander tasting himself as the vampire’s tongue claimed his mouth, expressing commitment and a depth of love that left the man utterly dazed.
They sat for a time, foreheads together, gently touching and petting.
Xander’s cell phone rang with a shrill ‘jazz tune’ that virtually irritated its user into answering the call swiftly.
“Hi Xan… Andy? Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Who told y…? Oh…” Spike watched as Xander’s face fell with the conversation. He grabbed the phone from his partner.
“Hi Andy, ‘s Will. Was gonna ring you anyway mate.”
“God Will, is he OK? I mean… I’m *so* sorry, I never thought… One of the guys said what happened and… ”
“S’ alright mate – not your fault. Was just the car scratched up, not the boy, so… Still don’t think Xan has done too well so far tonight. Both a bit fragile, truth be told. But we’re about to sort that.” Xander smiled widely at his partner as Spike wiggled an eyebrow and licked his lower lip indicating just how it might be sorted. Once again he was in awe of the extremes that were his Spike. From snarling predator to vulnerable lover to commanding master vampire in under thirty seconds!
“Oi, by the way, Xan didn’t say, but… your boss know? Don’t strike me as the sorta bloke who’d wear that kinda lark from his crew?”
“I guess he’ll know by now, if he didn’t before.”
“How’s that?”
“I heard what happened from the guys at one of the other sites I was working on – but you know rumors… Let’s just say that in the end, I was happy to find most of the stuff was hearsay – some even said Xan had being beaten up not just his car. That’s when I rang Jim’s office - to see if Xan was OK - but the boss wasn’t there, so I tried his home just on the odd chance. Well let’s just say Sandy was less than impressed. She likes you both, Xan especially, so… I figure Jim’ll give Xan a call tonight sometime.”
“Cheers mate. Anyway here’s the boy back.”
Spike left his friend to finish the conversation and wandering to the kitchen to fix himself a liquid snack. He had just rinsed the now empty mug when a knock on the front door interrupted any attempts at further kitchen domesticity.
Spike greeted Xander’s very worried looking boss with a friendly handshake and welcoming smile.
“Come in mate, Xan is just on the phone with Andy. Can I get you something? Beer? Coffee? Decent scotch?”
“Latter would be nice, thanks.”
Spike ushered the obviously distressed man into their lounge, seated him on the black leather suite, dimmed the lighting, then put on a jazz/blues CD from Xander’s ‘Boston collection’ for quiet background ‘assistance’. Obviously Sandy had sent her husband around to ‘sort out’ the situation, but Spike could tell that Jim was very uncomfortable with discussing private lives, yet was now forced to just that. To save both Xander and his boss time and angst, he decided to ‘deal’.
Handing Jim a very decent ‘snifter’ of Glenfiddich, he poured one for himself, then relaxed into a lounge chair opposite the man.
Before he had a chance to say anything however, Jim was staring into his glass and saying, “I don’t know where to start. I mean we’ve dealt with sexual harassment type stuff before but this is a bit more serious. Andy told me what happened at the basketball game… Well to be honest he didn’t exactly spell it out every moment, but I can fill in the gaps for myself. Are you OK? I mean, it sounds like… Well…” Spike could see him struggling.
“Oi – bit of argy bargy on the sporting field is all part of the fun, right? Fact that someone takes a dislike to you is just unfortunate. I’m afraid I was the one who hurt the bugger’s feelings. Apparently he’d decided to take me down another peg or two after the game but chose the karate mat to do it on.” Spike watched as Jim looked up with a slight smile on his face.
“Yeah, Andy told me. Said you made the Chinese action movies look like slow motion fakes! So, are you a black belt or something?”
“Guess I’ve moved beyond the formal training stage. Anyway, Andy’s just being polite. Really didn’t do anything too flash, but I could feel the man wasn’t really in it for the right reasons, so we stopped.” Spike noted the knowing look from Jim.
“You stopped it?”
“Sure, but didn’t do any good, did it.” It was Spike’s turn to look uncomfortable. He looked up and addressed the man directly, “Listen Jim, I figure you know that Xan and I are together yeah?” Jim gave a slight nod, “And we really haven’t run around advertising the fact – well not to my knowledge...”
It was Jim’s turn to jump in.
“My turn William. I saw you with my daughter the other night at our celebration. I saw how careful and caring you were and I respect that. I also know that Alexander has seemed a whole lot happier in the 10 or so days you’ve been here. And before you say anything, I also understand that you two go way back. And Will? Just for the record, I have two uncles who have been together for forty five years this coming November - they are as dear to me as anyone in our family. And I swear, it is one of the happiest, most balanced partnerships that I have ever had the privilege of seeing.
So, I can’t say I know what it’s like facing the sort of stuff that you folks have to deal with from others, because I don’t, but damn it if I’ll let some bunch of idiots hurt one of my best guys!”
Rant over Jim slammed the empty glass onto the low table and looked up. Xander was standing in the doorway smiling. He simply added “Thanks, it means a lot.”
Spike rose from his chair, offered his partner a drink then gave the two men some privacy.
He grabbed his laptop from the study and wandered out to the balcony to write, and smoke, and think. He heard the front door open and shut twice. Obviously Xander had taken Jim on an ‘inspection tour’ and they had returned to speak further.
Spike had been sitting in the dark typing when the balcony light threw everything into sharp relief. He squinted toward the door.
“Just thought I’d say goodbye, Xander tells me you’re heading back on the weekend.”
“Yeah well, we all have work to do, yeah?”
“Hmm”
“You two worked things out with the scratching caper then?”
“I think we have a few strategies yes.” Spike saw evisceration and public flaying but was fairly positive that those options were not on the list.
“We’ve got no proof, so going to the police is pointless – except to report the damage for insurance purposes. The company insurance should cover it.”
“So how do you know it won’t be you personally pet?
“Jim’s going to shift the team from that site to one down in San Fran.”
“How does that solve it?”
“They’ll be under Andy’s projects with Bruce B as site manager.”
“And this is better how?” Spike was beginning to look bored.
“Andy’s…. well Andy, and Bruce is ex varsity offensive front row footballer, a brilliant engineer… And a partner called Stephen.” Xander couldn’t help himself, and gave a wicked grin.
Spike smiled back, “And Steve is?”
“A professional ‘world wrestler’! Six foot seven of blonde athlete, stage name? ‘the Razor’.”
Spike rolled his eyes.
“So Jim is thinking what? Educate ‘em or just beat the snot out ‘o them. ‘Cause you *know* I can do the latter.”
“It’s Jim’s way of sending them (and others) a less than subtle message I guess. I figure shifting the team will split them up and break the pack mentality too – lot of the guys on site really don’t think too hard for themselves so…”
“You’ll be safe when I’m gone?”
“Yeah I guess – but…” Xander’s face fell with the reminder of Spike’s impending departure.
“You know I have to go back, pet, you always knew that.”
“Yeah but… Geez… It’s just gonna be *so*…” Xander was unable to finish the thought as Spike dived over to claim his lovers lips in a desperate and passionate kiss.